Dredge



June 13, i933.

B. G. HINDES DREDGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 11. 1931 INVENTOR.ifleeirr 6700:?

BY W%% A TTORNEYS.

B. G. HINDES June 13, 1933.

DREDGE Filed April 11. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 W W M 2 77 E e Z wPatented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Banners: e. nrnnns,01 sen rnnncrsco, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR "r sen FRANCISCO BRIDGE COMPANY,or salt rnanorsco, cenrronnrn, a conrorta'rron or CALI- FO RNIA DREDGEApplication filed. April 11, 1931. Serial No. 529,31

is ordinarily necessary for the dredge to re move surplus or excessmaterial. One of the major reasons for the necessity of removingsuchexcess material is that it is virtually impossible to determineaccurately the position of the dredging member, usually acutter.Experienced dredge operators judge the position of the cutter by thelocatively high, moving surplus material in creases the cost of dredgingand often renders 80 unprofitable a dredging ob which otherwise would beprofitable.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a dredge in whichthe position of the dredging member can be accurately ascertained.

Another object of my invention is to provide an indicator for a dredgewhich will show with reasonable accuracy the exactlocation of thedredging member.

A further object of my invention is to facilitate in general the preciseand accurate operation of a dredge. The foregoing and other objects areattained in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing in perspective a dredgeconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view showing diagrammatically in side elevation the ladderportion of tion of the ladder or by the position of val-i a dredgetogether with its associated parts in accordance with my invention.

In its preferred form, the dredge of my invention comprises a dredgingmember adapted to be submerged in association with means for indicatingthe position of the dredging member.

in the preferred form of my invention shown inthe drawings, there isprovided a dredge, generally indicated by the numeral 6, comprising abarge 7 which floats on a body of water 8 lying above terrain 9 in whicha channel is to be dredged with the preferred or minimum contour of thechannel eing defined by the boundary linesll and 12. i I

Erected on the barge 7 is a superstructure 13 including an inclosure forthe dredging machinery and a boom 14;. The boom is suitably orientedwith respect to the barge 7 by supporting cables 16 andin turn isprovided with suitable tackle 17 for orienting a ladder 18. The ladderusually comprises a suitable framework fastened as at 21 and 22 to thebarge 7 in such a Way that the ladder is movable in a vertical arc withrespectto the barge 7. Such an articulated connection is preferablyafiorded by suitable pivot pins 19. At one extremity of the ladder 18 acutter 23 is mounted for rotation and has the function of removingmaterial from the bottom 11 ofthe channel. The entire dredge includingthe barge 7 and the ladder 18 is related in any desired fashion to itssurroundings by means of swing lines 24 and 26 which are fastened. tosuitable'anchors, such In order that the position of the dredging memberor cutter can be determined from the barge 7 withreason able accuracyand with much greater accuracy than is at present the case, I preferablyprovide a float 28 which is supernatant on the bodyof water 8 and ispreferably arranged to lie substantially vertically above the dredgingmember or cutter 23 in all positions of the cutter and in all positionsof the float 28. In order to relate the float 28 in the desired fashionto the dredging member 23 1 preferably mount thefloat at the extremityof a framework 29 which is articulated with respect to the ladder 18 insuch a way that the float 28 is constrained to move in a vertical arcwith respect to the ladder. To this end the framework 29 is fastened bypivot pins 31 or other comparable means to the framework of the ladder18. The dimensions of the framework 29 and the location of the pivotpins 31 are chosen with respect to the arcuate vertical movement of thecutter 23 so that the center line of the float 28 lies substantiallyvertically above the dredging member 23. This arrangement isparticularly shown in Figure 2 wherein the cutting member 23 is shown indotted lines as it appears at an elevation with the float 28substantially vertically thereabove while the cutting member as shown infull lines is adj acent the bottom of its vertical movement with thefloat 28 nevertheless substantially vertically there-above. If desired,a rest 33 can be mounted on the ladder 18 to support the framework 29when the ladder is out of water.

In accordance with my invention, therefore, the float is mounted by arigid framework on the ladder 18 in such a fashion that the float isconstrained to move in substantially a vertical path with respect to thecutter 23 and indicates in any position of the float or of the cutterthe position of the cutter so that an observer on the barge 7 by notingthe position of the float 28 is afforded an accurate indication of thelocation of the cutter 23. Vvith this means a very close approximationto the minimum contour or boundary of the channel 11 can be obtained,thereby avoiding the removal and transportation of a large amount ofextra material.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the form of thedredge shown and described herein, as the invention, as set forth in thefollowing claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

I claim:

1. A dredge comprising a ladder, a cutter on one end of said ladder,said cutter being adapted to be submerged, and a float mounted on saidladder and adapted to overlie said cutter.

2. A dredge comprising a ladder adapted to have one end submerged, and afloat mounted on said ladder and adapted to overlie said end.

3. A dredge comprising a barge, a ladder articulated to said barge, acutter on said ladder and adapted to be submerged, and a floatarticulated to said ladder and adapted to overlie said cutter.

4. A dredge comprising a barge, a ladder pivoted on said barge to movein a vertical plane, and a float pivoted on said ladder to move in avertical plane.

5. A dredge comprising a ladder, and a float articulated to said ladderby a rigid framework.

6. A dredge comprising a ladder, a cutter on one end of said ladder, arigid framework pivotally mounted on said ladder, and a float on saidframework and adapted to overlie said cutter.

7. A dredge comprising a ladder, a cutter on said ladder, and a floatconstrained to move substantially vertically above said cutter. 8. Adredge comprising a ladder, a dredglng member on said ladder, and afloat constrained to move substantially vertically above said member.

9. A dredge comprising a barge, a ladder, a dredging member mounted onsaid ladder to move in a vertical arc with respect to said barge, and afloat mounted to move in a vertical arc with respect to said ladder withsaid float substantially above said dredging member in all positions ofsaid dredging member and of said float.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

BARRETT G. I-IINDES.

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